Alnico II vs Alnico V (for early EVH)

[Mr. Beasty]

from what i have been told the pickup sound nothing like a custom custom...by the way incase you didnt know a custom custom is 14.4k..i big difference than 14k when you get into tone of a pickup...a stock wolfgang bridge pickup is 13.85k.the dimarzio super distortion is 13.6k..

Yes!

... but there is more to a pick-up than its maget type and its resistance. I believe that a good pick-up maker could make a bright A2 humbucker or a dark A5.

The Custom Custom is not an exciting pick-up but that might be because of how it is mass produced. One that is made with TLC, scattered wound and not so perfectly symetrical might be a glorious pick-up?

[jcm800nut]

The duncan pearly gates is a great pickup with an alnico2. Like a 59 but with more midrange. If you think the 59 is too scooped sounding, try the pearly gates, sweet paf type pickup. It has great 'hair' on the high end too. Plus, with an eq pedal, I can get it to sound much like a 59, or even a jb, but I can't eq the 59 or jb to sound like the pearly gates. It's a fun pickup.

[jnewlyn]

Just bought an off the shelf '59 (Alnico V) and gigged with it last night. I had to cut some hights on the amp EQ because the pickup is BRIGHT.

Compared to my other bridge pickups, like the 78 (Alnico II) and Antiquity (Alnico II) This is the closest I've gotten so far when it comes to early EVH. It just has the clarity in the hights what makes it sound and feel like VHI

Alnico II is great also but when it comes to that chrystal clear 'sizzle' well...to my ears A2 doesn' t cut it.

Anyway I also have made myself a Hybrid (Custom/'59, A2) which I love also. Think of replacing the magnet with an AV and see what happens.

For know:A5 IS the way to go IMO

Just my 0.02 here

I too did this which should leave you with two hybrids. One with the A5 and one with the A2. I prefer the A5 in my Swamp Ash strat w/fender bridge. Seems to have the right bright snap to it. However, with the A5 hybrid, I turned it 180 degrees so that the screw poles are on the neck side. This way the hotter coil is on the bridge side. Like the A2 hybrid would be normally. I absolutely love these pickups. Mine are running at about 10.9K - 11K DC Resistance.

[Tone Slinger]

I like the A5 better. It does have, like said before, the right kind of clarity in the high end.

Also, if the Franky replica guitar has a 100% accurate copy of an 80s era floyd Rose, then that could be why that quasi 'Custom Custom' in it sounds tighter and brighter as compared to another floyd equiped ash guitar. The new floyds arent quite as hard. The old ones really had TOO much high end brittleness to them.

[Mats A]

Just bought an off the shelf '59 (Alnico V) and gigged with it last night. I had to cut some hights on the amp EQ because the pickup is BRIGHT.

Compared to my other bridge pickups, like the 78 (Alnico II) and Antiquity (Alnico II) This is the closest I've gotten so far when it comes to early EVH. It just has the clarity in the hights what makes it sound and feel like VHI

Alnico II is great also but when it comes to that chrystal clear 'sizzle' well...to my ears A2 doesn' t cut it.

Anyway I also have made myself a Hybrid (Custom/'59, A2) which I love also. Think of replacing the magnet with an AV and see what happens.

For know:A5 IS the way to go IMO

Just my 0.02 here

Sorry but what is the 78 Alnico II pickup?

[jnewlyn]

Sorry but what is the 78 Alnico II pickup?

That's the Duncan EVH.

[Mats A]

Is that an official model? Can

[Stratabuse]

Go to the custom shop link under products & then humbuckers, & you'll see the Model 78 EVH

[Mr. Beasty]

The duncan pearly gates is a great pickup with an alnico2. Like a 59 but with more midrange. If you think the 59 is too scooped sounding, try the pearly gates, sweet paf type pickup. It has great 'hair' on the high end too. Plus, with an eq pedal, I can get it to sound much like a 59, or even a jb, but I can't eq the 59 or jb to sound like the pearly gates. It's a fun pickup.

I had great results w/ the PG too. My #1 is the Bareknukle VHII. The PG is a close second.

[Ruben]

So, I quess the A5 seems the way to go for early VH

[MaddMaxx]

I have the duncan EVH with alnico 2's in my eVH strat and loved it at first. However, as I did with alnico 2's in strat pick ups, I eventually got sick of the dull high end and "steel wool" sounding mids. I think I eventually hear a sort of ugly undertone with Alnico 2's. So, I am going to try an appropriate alnico 5 PU for my EVH. Any suggestions? My guitar has stock vintage trem and is definately not a bright guitar on it's own if anything it's a bit dull sounding.

Also, I am starting to wonder about this whole Alnico 2 business to start with. Could I be wrong in thinking that the origin is really from seymour trying to mimic the sound of a very old, somewhat demagnetized alnico 5 pu by using 2's instead? I don't seem to find any info stating the alnico 2's were widespread and commonly used in ANY vintage pu's, rather than they might have been here and there due to shortages, qualilty control etc. Just curious.

[Bronco]

Why don't you just swap the mags first before you try a whole new pup? You can get mags for ~$10..

[MaddMaxx]

Wow, thanks I didn't even know you can do that. Good call because I do like the basic voicing and output of the EVH. Do the magnets just pop out or do I need a special tool? Where can I buy the magnets? Thanks in advance, I love this forum!!!

[Ruben]

Ok after experimenting with A2 and A5 magnets for the last couple of weeks, here's what I think: it just depends on wich guitar you're using

I have a late 70's Tokai Les Paul which has an SD '59 A5 magnet in it. Sounds absolutely killer to my ears. Beaytiful chrystal hights, no harsch mids and no slobby bass response. Awesome.

My other Les Paul (Gibson) has an Hybrid pickup. The magnet A2 came from an Antiquity Humbucker. I found out (thanks to this forum -again, thanks!-) that those magnets are weakend. So I ordered an full strenght A2 and an A5 just to try it out in the Hybrid (custom/59), 11,25 Kohm

The A5 was just TOO much, to bright and compressed sounding.

The A2 (full strenght) in the Hybrid is just perfect.

[cary chilton]

V's or II's all depend on the wood, hardware and the player....